Shoup
voting machine



.Ewfg w April 4, 1967 R. F. SHQUF I 3,312,390

VOTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18- 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I I EANsom F. SHoup v ATT'Y.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,312,390 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A voting machine having a number of vertical columns of voting spindles, an interlock for each column, and latches for connecting voting spindles from two columns to the same interlock.

My invention relates to a voting machine of the type which is shown in Shoup Patent- Numbers 2,054,102, 2,953,296, 3,054,557, and other Shoup patents and which includes vertical columns of voting spindles adapted to be individually rotated by the voter; means for recording a vote for each spindle rotated; interlocksfor limiting the number of votes which may be cast by any one voter for candidates running for any one office; horizontal pull straps connecting the voting spindle in said vertical columns to corresponding interlocks, and a personal choice mechanism associated with each office and operable to permit a voter to write in the name of a candidate whose name does not appear on the official ballot. The personal choice mechanism includes a paper ballot and individually slidable covers which must be moved to expose the paper on which the voter may write. To prevent voting for any one candidate twice, once by means of a voting spindle and once by means of the personal choice mechanism, a personal choice bar connects each sliding cover with the corresponding spindle and with the interlock so that moving a slide cover, to expose the paper ballot, immobilizes the corresponding spindle, and so that rotation of a voting spindle to cast a vote for a candidate immobilizes the corresponding slide cover.

In the machines referred to, all of the voting spindles in each vertical column are tied to one interlock, which is tailored to the number of candidates running. For example, if six candidates are running for mayor, an interlock section having six pull straps will be used and the play in this interlock section will be such that the movement of one pull strap in response to the rotation of one voting spindle (or in response to the movement of a personal choice slide cover in paper ballot exposing direction), will immobilize the other five voting spindles so that only one vote may be cast. If two candidates are to be elected, the play in the interlock section will he increased to permit two pull straps to be moved out and hence two spindles (or personal choice covers) to be moved, and so on.

Due to the great number of ofiices and the greater number of candidates seeking the various offices, it is necessary to make the most complete use of the voting capacity of each voting machine. Otherwise, a larger number of machines would have to be used. Because conventionally, all of the voting spindles in a vertical column are tied, by their pull straps, to a single corresponding interlock it is necessary that all the candidates running for a given oflice be listed in one column. This means that, if there happens to be four unused spindles at the lower end of a vertical column of spindles, and if there is no oflice which is sought by not more than four candidates, the four spindles referred to will remain idle. For example, if only one out of, say, seven candidates for an office, is to be elected, and if four of the candidates are assigned to the four open spindles at the bottom of one column and if the remaining three candidates are assigned to three spindles at the top of another column, it will be necessary to permit one of the four spindles, and one of the three spindles to be voted. This, in turn, means that the voter can vote one of the four spindles at the bottom of one column and one of the three spindles at the top of the adjacent column. Since only one out of the seven candidates is to be elected, the arrangement of assigning some candidates to voting spindles in one section of one column and of assigning the remaining candidates to a non-aligning section of another column will be wholly inoperative. This situation can arise at the lower end of the more than one of the ten vertical columns of a conventional voting machine and therefore it results in considerable waste of the voting capacity of the machine.

The object of this invention is to produce an improved machine wherein voting spindles in aligning portions of adjacent columns may be assigned to candidates running for the same office thus making it possible to use spindles which would be left unused if the spindles in each column are tied to a single corresponding interlock.

A further object is to accomplish the foregoing object easily, inexpensively, with no permanent alteration of the structure of the voting machine and without any special skill.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary and highly diagrammatic view of a lower portion of front of the voting machine or the face thereof which is accessible to the voters.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic section view looking in the direction of line 22 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a highly diagrammatic view, partly in section and partly in rear elevation, looking in the direction of line 3-3 on FIG. 2.

A voting machine of the type to which my invention is applied includes a number of vertical columns C-1, C-2, C-3, etc., each of which includes a number of voting spindles 8-1, 8-2, which are rotatable, in vote-casting direction, by a key or handle, K.

Rotation of a voting spindle in vote casting direction, rotates a vote counter, not shown, to record the votes in the manner set forth in the patents aforesaid. Rotation of a voting spindle also rotates a butterfly cam which is connected to a pull strap which engages the corresponding interlock 11. The structure and operation of the voting machine as a whole and of the butterfly cams, pull straps and interlock, form no part of this invention, and since they are fully described in the patents aforesaid, they are not shown, nor described, in detail. It is thought sufficient to point out that each interlock section can be so arranged as to permit the outward movement of one, or more, pull straps, depending on the number of candidates to be elected. For example, if only one candidate out of six is to be elected, the interlock will have six pull straps but the play available will be such that only one pull strap can be moved out, or to the left as shown at the top of FIG. 3. Conversely, if three candidates are to be elected, the play will be increase-d so that three out of the six pull straps shown in FIG. 3 may be moved before immobilizing and remaining pull straps, and so on. Because, conventionally, the spindles in each column are connected to one interlock, the candidates running for a given oflice must be assigned voting spindles in the c01 umn connected to the interlock. In other words, if there are five unused voting spindles, near the bottom end of one column and five unused voting spindles near the bottom of an adjacent column, and if there are six candidates running for a given oilice, such candidates will have to be listed.

in some other column where six consecutive spindles happen to be available, while the ten available spindles abovementioned remain unused. This represents unwarranted waste and expense. This condition is illustrated in FIG. 1 which shows spindles S-1 and S2 in Column C1; spindles S3, 8-4 and 8-5 in Column C-2 and spindles S-6 through 5-11) in Column C-3 which remain unused because there was no office for which less than six candidates are running. This is due to the fact that, even if only one candidate is to be elected, play must be provided in each interlock to allow one strap to be moved outwardly and if the spindles are tied to two interlock sections, it will be possible to vote for two candidates instead of one. It is also obvious that the candidates cannot be assigned voting spindles in two columns even if two or more candidates are to be elected instead of one.

The voting machine to which this invention is applied also includes a personal choice mechanism comprising a paper-ballot, not shown, on which a voter can vote for a candidate of his personal choice and whose name is not assigned any spindle, slide covers 10, 12, etc., which are individually movable to expose the paper-ballot, and personal choice bars B-1 and B-2, etc., one for each horizontal row of voting spindles. conventionally, these personal choice bars are connected, at their left ends as viewed in FIG. 3, to the respective slide covers 10, 12, etc., of the personal choice mechanism, not shown. At their other ends, the personal choice bars B-1 and B-2 are detachably connected to personal choice straps 12, 14, etc., by means of latches 16 and 18 so that movement of a bar to the left, whether it be due to rotation of a voting spindle, or to the movement of a slide cover to paper ballot exposing position, will move the corresponding personal choice pull strap outwardly, or to the position of conventional pull strap 20, to immobilize the remaining pull straps, and vice versa. Latches 16 and 18 are pivotally connected to the corresponding pull straps and they detachably engage studs 22 which are provided at intervals on the personal choice bars. The structure thus far described forms no part of the present invention.

According to my invention, I connect the voting spindles in one column with the same interlock to which voting spindles from an adjacent column are connected. To this end, I provide auxiliary latches 24, 26, etc., which are detachably pivoted to the existing studs 22 on bars B-1 and B-2, and which have notches 28 for detachably engaging pins 30 on the corresponding conventional butterfly cams 32, 34, etc.

The operation is as follows:

If it is assumed that voting spindles S1 through 8-5 are available and if there are five, or less, candidates seeking a given ofiice, two of the candidates can be assigned to voting spindles S-1 and 8-2 in Column C-1 and the other three can be assigned to the spindles 8-3, 8-4, and 3-5 in Column C-2, and all of the spindles will be connected to one interlock. If the number of candidates is greater than five, three can be assigned to spindles 8-3, 8-4, and 8-5, and the remaining candidates, not more than five, will be assigned to spindles S6 through S-10. Other combinations can readily be visualized. In any event, the spindles assigned to candidates running for one otfice, will be connected to the same interlock in the manner illustrated. It will be noted that, in the example of FIG. 3, voting spindles S-8, S 9, and the other spindles in Column C-3, etc., are connected by pull straps 20, 21, etc., to the same interlock to which spindles 8-4, 8-5, etc., are connected. Therefore, rotation of any of spindles 5 through 10 in Column C-2 or any of spindles 8-3, 8-4, or 8-5 in Column C-2, will pull the correspond-.

ing pull strap and will immobilize the other pull straps in the interlock. It is also to be noted that when a personal choice bar is connected to a mechanical voting spindle, S-4, S5, etc., its left-hand end is disconnected from the slide cover 10 or 12 to which it is connected for normal, personal choice voting.

It will be seen from the foregoing that, by my invention, the capacity of the voting machine is more elficiently utilized and that the invention is carried out by merely connecting the available spindles in adjacent colurrms to the existing studs on the existing personal choice bars which are already connected to existing pull straps. Of course, when so used, the personal choice bars are disconnected from the personal choice slide covers.

To facilitate this operation, latches 24 and 26 are connected to studs 22 by a cotter pin or by some other easily applied and removed clip or clamp, and by providing the latches 24, 26, etc., with notches 28 which detachably engage pins 30 which form-part of the conventional butterfly 32.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a voting machine which includes:

a. plurality of vertical columns of voting spindles,

a pluarlity of interlocks, one for each of said columns,

and

horizontal pull straps connecting the spindles of each column to its corresponding interlock,

of means connecting selected spindles from another column to said interlock.

2. The combination with a voting machine of the type Which includes:

a plurality of vertical columns of voting spindles,

a plurality of interlocks, one for each of said columns,

and

horizontal pull straps connecting the spindles of each column to its corresponding interlock,

of means connecting selected spindles from an adjacent column to said interlock.

3- The combination with a voting machine of the type which includes:

a plurality of .vertcial columns of voting spindles,

a plurality of interlocks, one for each of said columns,

a plurality of personal choice bars,

horizontal pull straps connecting the spindles of each column to its corresponding interlock, and horizontal personal choice pull straps connecting said bars to said interlock,

of means connecting selected spindles from another column to said personal choice bars.

4. The combination with a voting machine of the type which includes:

a plurality of vertical columns of voting spindles,

a plurality of interlocks, one for each of said columns,

a plurality of personal choice bars,

horizontal pull straps connecting the spindles of each column to its corresponding interlock, and horizontal personal choice pull straps connecting said bars to said interlock,

of means connecting selected spindles from an adjacent column to said personal choice bars.

5. A voting machine of the type which includes:

an interlock,

a first vertical column of rotatable spindles,

keys carried by one end of the spindles for rotating the same,

butterfly cams carried by the other end of said spindles and rotatable therewith,

horizontal pull straps connecting the butterfly cams of said first column to said interlock whereby, rotation of a spindle causes a pull strap to partially immobilize said interlock,

a second vertical column of rotatable spindles,

keys carried by one end of said spindles for rotating the same,

butterfly cams carried by the other end of said spindles and rotatable therewith,

a plurality of personal choice bars extending horizontally of said columns,

horizontal personal choice pull straps connecting said personal choice bars to said interlock, whereby of the type movement of a personal choice bar in personal choice References Cited by the Examiner vote casting direction causes the corresponding per- UNITED STATES PATENTS sonal choice pull strap to partially immobilize said interlock, and 733,104 10/1904 Gillespie 23554 clips detachably connecting selected personal choice 5 1,031,184 7/1912 Kelper 235 54 bars to corresponding selected butterfly cams of said said second column whereby rotation of a selected RICHARD WILKINSON Exammer' butterfly cam moves the corresponding personal S. A. WAL, Assistant Examiner.

choice bar and its personal choice pull strap to partially immobilize said interlock. o 

5. A VOTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE WHICH INCLUDES: AN INTERLOCK, A FIRST VERTICAL COLUMN OF ROTATABLE SPINDLES, KEYS CARRIED BY ONE END OF THE SPINDLES FOR ROTATING THE SAME, BUTTERFLY CAMS CARRIED BY THE OTHER END OF SAID SPINDLES AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, HORIZONTAL PULL STRAPS CONNECTING THE BUTTERFLY CAMS OF SAID FIRST COLUMN TO SAID INTERLOCK WHEREBY, ROTATION OF A SPINDLE CAUSES A PULL STRAP TO PARTIALLY IMMOBILIZE SAID INTERLOCK, A SECOND VERTICAL COLUMN OF ROTATABLE SPINDLES, KEYS CARRIED BY ONE END OF SAID SPINDLES FOR ROTATING THE SAME, BUTTERFLY CAMS CARRIED BY THE OTHER END OF SAID SPINDLES AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A PLURALITY OF PERSONAL CHOICE BARS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY OF SAID COLUMNS, HORIZONTAL PERSONAL CHOICE PULL STRAPS CONNECTING SAID PERSONAL CHOICE BARS TO SAID INTERLOCK, WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF A PERSONAL CHOICE BAR IN PERSONAL CHOICE VOTE CASTING DIRECTION CAUSES THE CORRESPONDING PERSONAL CHOICE PULL STRAP TO PARTIALLY IMMOBILIZE SAID INTERLOCK, AND CLIPS DETACHABLY CONNECTING SELECTED PERSONAL CHOICE BARS TO CORRESPONDING SELECTED BUTTERFLY CAMS OF SAID SAID SECOND COLUMN WHEREBY ROTATION OF A SELECTED BUTTERFLY CAM MOVES THE CORRESPONDING PERSONAL CHOICE BAR AND ITS PERSONAL CHOICE PULL STRAP TO PARTIALLY IMMOBILIZE SAID INTERLOCK. 